Privacy Policy
At Autoimport Africa, we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our users. This policy explains our data practices and your rights.
1. Introduction
Welcome to Autoimport Africa ("we", "our", or "us"). Autoimport Africa operates the website autoimport.africa and related mobile applications (collectively, the "Platform"), a marketplace that facilitates the importation of clean-title vehicles from China to Africa, including services such as vehicle sourcing, inspection, escrow payment processing, international shipping, customs clearance, and door-to-door delivery.
We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our Platform, create an account, or use any of our services. By accessing or using Autoimport Africa, you consent to the practices described in this policy.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you register on the Platform, place a vehicle order, subscribe to our waitlist, contact our support team, or otherwise interact with our services. This includes:
- Full name, email address, phone number, and physical address
- Government-issued identification documents required for customs clearance and import documentation
- Payment information (processed securely through our third-party payment gateway)
- Vehicle preferences, search history, and wishlist selections
- Communications with our customer support team
- Business registration details for dealer accounts
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you access our Platform, we automatically collect certain technical and usage data, including:
- IP address, browser type and version, operating system, and device identifiers
- Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, and referral URLs
- Location data (country and region) inferred from your IP address
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies
2.3 Information from Third Parties
We may receive information about you from third-party partners, including vehicle inspection agencies in China, shipping and logistics providers, customs clearing agents, payment processors, and identity verification services.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- To create and manage your account and provide our vehicle importation services
- To process vehicle purchases, escrow-protected payments, and refunds
- To arrange international shipping, real-time GPS tracking of your shipment, and door-to-door delivery
- To facilitate customs clearance documentation, duties calculations, and local tax compliance
- To send you transactional communications such as order confirmations and shipping updates
- To send you marketing communications, where you have opted in or where permitted by law
- To improve, personalise, and optimise our Platform and services through analytics and research
- To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud and other illegal activities
- To comply with legal obligations and law enforcement requests
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Depending on your jurisdiction, we process your personal data on one or more of the following legal bases: performance of a contract, your consent, compliance with a legal obligation, and our legitimate interests (e.g., fraud prevention and platform improvement), provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
5. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your data with the following categories of recipients, strictly to the extent necessary to provide our services:
- Vehicle inspection and verification partners in China
- Shipping and logistics companies (RoRo vessel operators and container lines)
- Licensed customs clearing agents in your destination country
- Payment processing providers who handle secure transactions and escrow services
- Identity verification and fraud prevention service providers
- Professional advisors, including legal, accounting, and insurance providers
- Government authorities and regulatory bodies where required by law
6. International Data Transfers
As our operations span multiple countries — including China, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana — your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We take appropriate safeguards to ensure your data is protected during such transfers, including the use of contractual clauses and data processing agreements.
7. Data Security
We implement industry-standard technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), secure server infrastructure, access controls, and escrow-protected payment processing. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure.
8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our Platform uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, remember your preferences, analyse Platform usage, and deliver relevant content. You can manage your cookie preferences through the "Cookie Settings" link available in the footer of our website.
9. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, maintain your account, comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When your data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.
10. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data.
- Right to restrict processing: Request that we limit the processing of your data.
- Right to data portability: Request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
- Right to object: Object to processing based on our legitimate interests.
- Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected].
11. Children's Privacy
Our Platform and services are not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a child, we will take steps to delete such information promptly.
12. Third-Party Links
Our Platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or applicable laws. When we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated policy on our Platform and updating the "Last Updated" date above.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: